Research: The Third Man (Mise En Scene)

In this first photo you can see that Mise En Scene is used by the body shape which has connotations of vulnerability of the character. The location of this scene is especially important as it creates the effect of claustrophobia and the fact that the character cannot escape from this and that it will be his downfall down in these tunnels. These conventions fit perfectly with that of the typical film noir conventions.

In the second photo you can see that the key part of Mise En Scene is the location and props. The location is on a frozen river with a half sinking boat, this has connotations about the war and how it isn’t a nice place to be. The props that are visible, is the dead man on the middle of the ice, which again has connotations back to it isn't a nice place to be in the post war setting during winter.

In the third photo you can see that the key part of Mise En Scene is the use of shadows and lighting. With the clear shadow visible on the wall next to the stairs it connotes to a semantic field of mystery where we don’t quite know everything about the character. The direction of lighting in this scene is used to create the shadow. The camera shot in this scene is looking down which creates the sense that he is below us.

In the fourth photo you can see that his hands are reaching out into the world (desperation to escape). The use of light on the outside world creates a contrast from the darkness we know is below. The light on his finger tips shows the viewer that he is so close to escaping the darkness of the tunnels. The camera angle is set very low along the street floor which emphasises to the audience that he is powerless and helpless.